If you've ever wondered why so many mums who've had GDM don't get tested after birth, or why engaging with ongoing care feels so hard — this episode is for you. And the answer isn't what most people assume.
It's not a lack of caring. It's not laziness. The barriers are real, they are well-documented in the research, and they are specific to this season of life in a way that is important to understand.
In this episode, Jaimee — credentialled diabetes educator, registered nurse, and nurse practitioner (in progress) — walks through the five barriers she sees most consistently in her clinical work and in the literature on post-GDM care.
What we cover in this episode:
1. The system doesn't follow up The postpartum testing recommendations after GDM are clear — a glucose tolerance test at six to twelve weeks, and annual testing ongoing. But in practice, the handover between obstetric and primary care is often incomplete, and women are sent home without an explicit plan. When the system doesn't follow up, women don't know to follow up on themselves.
2. The fog of new motherhood A fasting glucose tolerance test requires nothing to eat or drink from the night before, a trip to pathology, and two hours of sitting and waiting — often with a baby in tow. Research consistently shows postpartum testing rates after GDM are well below fifty percent, and logistics and competing demands are among the most commonly cited reasons. It's not apathy. It's capacity.
3. "It was just a pregnancy thing" If no one has explicitly told a woman otherwise, it is completely reasonable for her to conclude that her risk ended when her pregnancy did. This is a health literacy and communication barrier — and it sits with the system, not the individual.
4. Putting themselves last There is something that happens to many women when they become mothers. Their own health moves to the bottom of the list — not because they don't value it, but because everyone else's needs feel more immediate. In this episode, Jaimee gently challenges the idea that your health can wait — and explains why your metabolic health and your family's wellbeing are not as separate as they might feel right now.
5. Cost and access Some of the most useful testing after GDM — including fasting insulin to assess insulin resistance — is not Medicare rebatable in Australia. Continuous glucose monitoring remains an out-of-pocket expense for most women after GDM. Programs that offer personalised support often cost money. This barrier is real, it is inequitable, and it deserves to be named plainly.
Who this episode is for: Mums who've had GDM who have found themselves putting their own health on the backburner. Women who weren't sure why follow-up felt so hard. Healthcare providers who want to better understand why their patients aren't coming back for testing.
🎧 Listen now wherever you get your podcasts.
General education only — speak with your healthcare provider about what's right for you
Whether you're newly postpartum, years past your GDM diagnosis, or supporting someone who's been through this experience, this podcast is for you. Let's create healthy futures together!
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